Thursday, 7am: Fines and lawsuits possible after tragedy
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-Jorge Branco and Cameron Atfield
Dreamworld faces the possibility of multiple lawsuits and hefty fines in the wake of a fatal ride malfunction as Queensland's peak law body calls for theme park regulation reform.
A law firm has already received inquiries from eyewitnesses allegedly traumatised by the raft ride tragedy.
Canberra mother Kate Goodchild died along with her brother Luke Dorsett, his partner, Roozbeh Araghi and Sydney mother Cindy Low when a raft they were riding on in the family-friendly river rapids ride flipped.
Queensland Law Society president Bill Potts said a Workplace Health and Safety investigation could result in multi-million-dollar fines for parent company Ardent Leisure Group and directors if wrongdoing was found.
Civil lawsuits from family members and others directly affected by the tragedy were also possible, he said, calling for beefed up laws to prevent a repeat.
"I would have thought without a doubt the (civil) claim would have been into the millions," Mr Potts said.
"But at the moment the concentration must be on absolute safety, not just at that theme park but at all theme parks."
Police and the workplace watchdog are still investigating.
WHSQ carries out a yearly audit of theme park and amusement rides to ensure compliance but Mr Potts said other aspects of the legislation were unclear.
"It's a little difficult to find out who licences such things and the standards they have to meet," he said.
"One of the things that ought to come from this is the licensing standards for theme parks and carnival rides ought to be made more transparent and more stringent to prevent a terrible tragedy such as this occurring again."
Alison Barrett from Maurice Blackburn said the law firm had been contacted by a number of people who witnessed the incident, however she stressed in most cases the inquiries weren't about money.
"Those people aren't really interested in 'how much can I get' it's more 'what happens now, what are my rights?'," she said on Wednesday.
Police said the deceased were all travelling in one raft on the Gold Coast theme park's Thunder River Rapids ride, with Ms Goodchild's 12-year-old daughter and Ms Low's 10-year-old son.
The children survived in what was described as "almost a miracle" but two of the adults were trapped under the raft while the other two were otherwise "caught in the machinery".
After viewing CCTV of the incident, Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd said it appeared the raft hit with another vessel at the end of the ride, causing it to tip over backwards.
Workplace Health and Safety and dozens of police were investigating as Queensland politicians vowed to uncover what went wrong and sought to reassure travellers the Gold Coast remained safe to visit.
A Dreamworld spokeswoman declined to answer questions, citing the police and coronial investigations. Chief executive Craig Davidson laid a wreath at the scene on Wednesday afternoon, saying the company's immediate focus was on the families of those who died.
Slater and Gordon practice group leader Travis Schultz, a public liability specialist, said it was difficult to gauge the legal ramifications when so many details remained unknown.
He said ultimately, any legal defence on the part of Ardent could come down to Dreamworld's insurers.
"While a tourism theme park operator has real interest in maintaining its reputation and might very well see the commercial considerations as paramount in resolving claims, the difficulty is that the decisions are in fact made by an insurer, in the majority of cases, not the insured," he said.
"A multinational insurer of the type it would take to insure something the size of Dreamworld isn't really going to care too much about the image of Dreamworld going forward if it's going to hit them in their hip pocket, rather than Dreamworld's."
Wednesday, 11.45am: Son saw Sydney mother Cindy Low die in theme park tragedy
-Rachel Olding
The son of one of the victims of Dreamworld's ride disaster saw his mother's fatal fall when the Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioned.
Sydney mother Cindy Low, 42, was at the theme park with her 10-year-old son Kieran, six-year-old daughter and her husband Mathew on Tuesday.
However, she made the tragic decision to separate from her daughter and husband and ride in another raft with her son and four strangers.
She died on the ride's wooden conveyor belt when her group's inflatable raft crashed into another raft, flipping and killing four of the six people inside.
Kieran saw the entire event and was being comforted by his father on Wednesday.
He was thrown from the raft alongside the 12-year-old daughter of another ride victim, Canberra mother Kate Goodchild, 32.
The fact both children survived is "a miracle", police said on Wednesday.
"A beautiful wife, mother and dear friend was killed today while enjoy[ing] what should have been a relaxing family holiday," one friend of Ms Low said in an online tribute.
It's not believed that the Low family knew the three Canberra holidaymakers who were also killed.
Ms Goodchild's two daughters were taken out of the park screaming and crying along with their father, who emerged from the ride covered in mud, witnesses said.
Ms Goodchild's brother Luke Dorsett, 35, and his partner Roozbeh Araghi, 38, were also killed.
It was the worst Australian theme park disaster since 1979, when seven people died in a fire on the Ghost Train at Luna Park in Sydney.
Ms Low was originally from Kawerau in New Zealand but settled in Sydney years ago, most recently on the lower north shore, with her children and husband, a business systems specialist for a hearing aid technology company.
She was on a holiday at the Gold Coast with her family and some friends. It is understood the group were all at Dreamworld on Tuesday.
Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd said the two children, aged 10 and 12, were thrown into the water but survived.
"In terms of how they escaped, maybe through the providence of God," he said.
"It seems from what I've seen [on CCTV] it was almost a miracle that anybody came out of that. If we're going to be thankful for anything, I'm thankful for that."
He said it was "absolutely traumatic for these children" and they were being looked after by their families.
He said CCTV showed that the raft was coming to the end of the ride and had been pulled up a wooden conveyor belt. A malfunction caused the raft to collide with another raft and flip backwards.
All six in the raft were wearing velcro lap belts.
Two adults were trapped under and two were thrown into the water.
Dozens of people witnessed the accident, including an English tourist who told Fairfax Media she saw a woman hanging by her leg from the raft. Others ran from the ride's entrance screaming and crying.
The raft has been removed from the park for forensic examination.
Engineering examinations will continue at Dreamworld on Wednesday and it is expected the ride will be closed for at least two or three days.
Note: Police initially said in a press conference on Wednesday that two girls, aged 10 and 13, were thrown into the water, but police have now clarified that should have been a boy, aged 10, and a girl, aged 12.
9.15am: Dreamworld accident: Kids in hospital after ride tragedy
It's "almost a miracle" two children escaped the horror Dreamworld tragedy that claimed four lives on Tuesday afternoon, police say.
Queensland Police Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd said two young girls, 10 and 13, escaped a raft on the Thunder River Rapids ride as it flipped, killing four adults on board.
The two children were taken to hospital.
CCTV captured the whole incident and police have been pouring over the footage to determine the cause.
Mr Codd said it appeared the ride had "an apparent mis-operation or some catastrophe", causing the raft to flip backwards.
"From what I've seen, it's almost a miracle that anybody came out of that," he said.
"If we are going to be thankful for anything I am thankful for that."
Brother and sister Luke Dorsett, 35, and Kate Goodchild, 32, and Mr Dorsett's partner Roozi Araghi, all from Canberra, and another woman, believed to be a NZ woman, died as horrified witnesses looked on at the Gold Coast theme park.
Paramedics said two were thrown clear of the ride while the other two were stuck in the ride itself.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the two children who were on the ride were being cared for in the Gold Coast University Hospital.
Mr Codd said first responders, including police, paramedics and other emergency services had been "deeply affected".
"Many of our officers have families, I don't think that there is any of [them] who haven't endured the delights of Dreamworld and that particular ride," he said.
"We are providing maximum support in terms of our peer support officers and human services officers and chaplains to provide support and we will continue to do that as long as it is needed.
"Often these circumstances, in my experience, our officers plough through and get their work done at the critical time and it is often in the days and often weeks later that the reality hits in and it has its emotional impact."
A team of 30 detectives is involved in the investigation amid union claims it raised grave concerns about safety at the park 18 months ago, and that owner Ardent Leisure fought efforts to obtain relevant information.
The Australian Workers Union, which represents Dreamworld staff, says it took safety concerns to Ardent as far back as April 2015, and even submitted right- to-information requests with the division of Workplace Health and Safety.
Several parkgoers claimed the ride had broken down at least twice earlier in the day but Dreamworld is yet to respond to those comments.
Wednesday, 7am: Dreamworld victims’ mother left devastated
-Megan Levy
The devastated mother of two victims of the Dreamworld theme park tragedy says her family has been "wiped out" following their deaths on the Thunder River Rapids ride.
Kim Dorsett's two adult children, Kate Goodchild, 32, and Luke Dorsett, were among four people killed when their raft flipped on the popular ride about 2.20pm on Tuesday.
Also killed was Mr Dorsett's partner, Roozbeh Araghi, and a second woman, aged 42, who was believed to have lived in Sydney.
Ms Dorsett, who was holidaying in Queensland from Canberra with her children, told News Corp Australia she was "absolutely devastated" at the deaths of her "wonderful" children.
She said they had decided to visit Dreamworld, Australia's largest theme park, after extending their holiday on the Gold Coast.
"I have three children and have lost two of them today – my whole family has been wiped out," she said.
"They really were just wonderful people – that would be the best way to describe them. They were kind, loving souls that would honestly do anything for anyone."
Ms Goodchild had two daughters, aged 12 and eight months, and the older girl is believed to have been at the theme park when the tragedy occurred.
"Like me, she [the older daughter] is still coming to terms with it all but she is completely devastated – she is blaming herself for what has happened," Ms Dorsett said.
"She has had a truly terrible day, she is going through unimaginable pain at the moment. I'm at a loss as to how to deal with this now – I woke up this morning with three children and tomorrow I am only going to have one left.
"I have two granddaughters ... and it truly breaks my heart to know that my eight-month-old is never going to get to know her mum."
The second woman killed in the accident was originally a New Zealand citizen who had lived in Sydney for at least the past 10 years with her Kiwi husband, according to the New Zealand Herald. They had two children, a boy and girl, and the family was on holidays in Queensland.
The woman, originally from Kawerau on New Zealand's North Island, was reportedly on the ride with her 10-year-old son, who was injured in the accident and was taken to hospital. Her husband and daughter were not on the ride, the New Zealand Herald reported.
Dreamworld will remain closed on Wednesday as police examine how the accident occurred. Police have confirmed the tragedy was captured on CCTV camera, and detectives are reviewing that footage.
The Thunder River Rapids Ride is presently Australia's only river rapids ride and opened in December 1986. Passengers sit in circular rafts as they travel along a fast-moving, man-made river.
Early reports indicate the ride's conveyor belt may have malfunctioned, ejecting two of the victims and pinning the other two either under water or in machinery.
Dreamworld visitors Kaylah Walker, 25, and her mother, Lisa, said the same ride was not working earlier on Tuesday.
"It had broken down and we went back a couple of times to this particular ride," she said.
"We were standing on the bridge watching and the water had stopped."
Dreamworld chief executive Craig Davidson said the thoughts of the park were with the families and loved ones of those killed.
"We're all deeply shocked and saddened by this," Mr Davidson said.
"We will work closely with police and emergency authorities in this matter."
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said there would be a thorough investigation.
"Theme parks are a place for family fun and happiness, not tragedy," he said.
As night fell on the park on Tuesday, tributes were being left for the victims of the tragedy.
One local woman left four candles, a small bunch of Gardenia flowers and a note saying: "Always in our hearts. RIP always."
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said it was a "dark day" in the state's history.
Tuesday, 8:11pm: A 'dark day'
As the investigations move into full swing, here is what we know so far
Four people are dead after an incident on Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld on Queensland's Gold Coast.
Paramedics say two people were thrown from the ride and two people were trapped inside when the ride malfunctioned.
The victims are two women aged 32 and 42 along with two men, aged 35 and 38.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk describes it as a "dark day" in the state's history..
The theme park has been closed "until further notice"
Ardent Leisure, the operator of the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast, had its share price fall by as much as 8 per cent
Police and workplace safety officers are investigating.
7pm: The tragic events at Dreamworld today could cause anxiety for children.
Kids Helpline is Australia's only national 24/7 counselling and support service, specifically for children and young people aged 5 to 25 years.www.kidshelp.com.au or free call 1800 55 1800.
If you or anyone you know needs support, contact Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or visit its website on lifeline.org.au
6:40pm: There was a problem with the Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld several hours before one part of the ride flipped over, a witness said.
On Tuesday morning, visitors were left waiting as engineers were called in to inspect the ride.
"We were waiting there for about half an hour and the engineers had to come," a witness told Nine News.
"They drained all the water out and then had to refill it back up. Then we were allowed to go. We were stuck there for about 30, 40 minutes at least."
6:17pm:
Witnesses have described shock and confusion in the aftermath of the accident as first responders reacted.
"They just told us to evacuate, 'you've gotta go'," one park-goer told Ten News.
"Then as we got down other people said they heard a massive big bang and it sounded like an explosive big bang."
6:12pm: 'Everyone is in deep shock': Premier
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said police and workplace health and safety were doing a "thorough" investigation and expected that to continue into the early hours.
"I understand there were many witnesses and I want to thank paramedics and police who were there," she said.
"I have been told the scene was horrific."
"Everyone is in deep shock that this has actually happened at one of our most popular theme parks, our heart goes out to family and victims."
5:54pm: 'Deeply shocked and saddened'
Dreamworld chief executive Craig Davidson said the park had been closed.
"We are deeply shocked and saddened by this and our hearts and our thoughts go to the families involved and their loved ones," he said.
5:52pm: Two thrown from ride, two trapped
Paramedics said two people were thrown from the ride and two people were trapped inside.
QAS Officer Gavin Fuller said the people were aged from 32 to their early 40s.
He said park staff attempted first aid but weren't able to save them.
5:46pm: Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has launched an investigation into the tragedy, with an investigations team and the chief engineer on site.
It's understood the chief engineer will be looking into the mechanics of the ride and what went wrong.
‘The whole thing flipped over’
Four people have died in an accident at Dreamworld, with reports a raft on the Thunder River Rapids ride at the theme park flipped over.
Paramedics, fire crews and police were on scene at the Coomera theme park near the Gold Coast responding to reports received just after 2pm that a number of people had been injured by a conveyor belt.
"Dreamworld is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts around the incident and is working closely with emergency authorities and police to do this," the theme park said in a statement.
"Dreamworld's focus and priority is with the families of those involved in this tragedy and will be providing an update to the public as soon as information becomes available."
One woman who spoke to media at the theme park said a young girl was crying and being comforted at the ride.
"We think it was her mum that was involved," the woman said.
"There was just police and lifeguards everywhere.
"It happened on the Rapids ride. I spoke to a guy and he said he looked behind and the whole thing flipped over."
Another witness said she believed three adults involved in the accident were from the same extended family.
A concerned mother whose daughter was at Dreamworld at the time of the incident voiced relief to Facebook after she was told those involved were not children.
"Ok I'm here at park and have been informed the ppl (sic) in the accident are over 30 now to find my girl they are evacuating park now thanks all," she wrote.
Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate said it was a "very sad day for our city".
"Our thoughts are with the families of those affected – and the emergency staff in attendance," he said.
"I urge everyone to show the respect needed as the relevant authorities undertake investigations in to what has occurred.
"A truly sad day for all."
The incident comes about six months after a near-drowning on Dreamworld's popular log ride.
A man was on the log ride when he fell out in April.
He was treated by the theme park's medical staff after he swallowed water and suffered head cuts before paramedics arrived.
- with AAP